7 minute read
Politics
‘Time for change was frittered away’
AS I write, another climate summit is underway in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. Another year has gone by since the last one, COP 26 in Glasgow, and once again the world’s heads of government are gathered together making high-sounding promises of action to limit the climate change which is destroying our planet’s life support system.
Once again the UN Secretary General and the world’s top scientists are warning that we are on the brink of a global catastrophe with time running out ever faster, and once again the politicians are promising too little too late, with no guarantees that even those inadequate promises will be kept.
Our addiction to fossil fuels is not just the cause of the climate crisis: it is also the main driver of our current cost of living crisis.
Russia has shut off the gas supply to the EU, but that is only a problem because we have not built enough wind turbines or installed enough solar panels, or insulated our homes and other buildings, and because our privatised electricity market links the price of electricity to the price of gas. And because our politicians chose to carry on with business as usual, and put off the sensible actions they could have begun over 30 years ago when the first climate summit took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
None of this is any consolation to those like myself who have spent 40 or more years warning of this crisis through the Green Party and other environmental organisations.
There is no pleasure in saying “we told you so” while knowing that we failed to get our message across, and that our grandchildren’s generation will have to pay the price.
Whatever we may think of their methods, born of frustration and desperation, the “Just Stop Oil” and “Insulate Britain” protestors are right in their demands. The time that once existed for a gradual and painless transition has been frittered away.
The radical action we now need is simply common sense. Instead of spending billions to inadequately subsidise fuel bills, we should confiscate the unearned windfall profits of the oil, gas and power giants and permanently cut fuel bills by insulating every home and investing in the renewable energy of wind, sun and tide which has zero fuel cost.
We must invest in enough cheap or free public transport to make the private car redundant, drastically cut transport emissions and restore healthy clean air. We must cut consumption and waste by making things to last and be repaired, not thrown away. And the richest must pay their fair share, not be given endless tax cuts.
The solutions are simple and obvious. What we need is the political will to implement them. Unfortunately, there is no sign as yet of that coming out of the beanfeast in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Brig Oubridge Green campaigner from Salisbury
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Politics
Lack of leadership and legislation over climate and environment
HAVING lunch with friends this weekend, it was hardly surprising that the topic of climate change and the environment came up in conversation. It was interesting to hear someone mention, many small businesses are clearly eager to reduce their carbon footprint but are asking “… but what are we supposed to do?”
I have to say I felt concerned, but not surprised given the unbelievable lack of leadership and action taken by our government in spite of frequent claims to be taking climate change seriously.
As leaders from governments around the world gather in Egypt this week to track progress across the globe in slowing down global warming and climate change we will no doubt hear scientists emphasising the need for a greater sense of urgency. The death toll continues to rise as a consequence of extreme weather conditions, there can be no doubt we need to be doing more than simply listening to what they have to say.
We actually need to show a lot more commitment and action. The dithering of our most recent PM over whether or not to attend the COP 27 Climate Summit says it
Cllr John Wells Chair of Environment and Climate Committee (Salisbury City Council)
all. Talk is cheap but actually effecting change requires investment and action – in other words leadership.
So let’s consider some of the indicators of the UK commitment to achieving our crucial net zero target by 2030. • “Nearly half of all the UK’s offshore wind capacity is owned by state-owned or majority state-owned foreign entities.” (Sky News 26.09.22) • Shell was allowed to get away without paying any tax on their record profits from the sale of fossil fuel by virtue of committing to investment in developing a capacity to produce even more fossil fuel closer to home. • “Substantial evidence obtained by the BBC, which shows that Drax is cutting down carbon-rich forests while receiving billions in green energy subsidies.” (Energy News Live 07.10.22)
Thérèse Coffey was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 October 2022. One her first acts in her new role was to announce that the government plan to publish legally binding targets for air quality, water health, nature and waste management on October 31 were to be delayed, but gave no new date for publication.
No targets, no guidance, no action. There is a desperate need for stronger leadership, and there is a pattern here, which if is allowed to continue, will inevitably accelerate further deterioration in our environment.
LAST week, I attended an extraordinary meeting of Salisbury City Council to review the government’s approach to climate change, in particular its stated goal to reach net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.
As councillors tussled over our answers to various questions, including ‘What are the biggest barriers you face in decarbonising?’, I was left with a sense of impending doom.
In its June assessment, the UK’s independent adviser on tackling climate change, the Climate Change Committee, stated that ‘Current [government] plans are unlikely to put us on track for Net Zero by 2050’. It went on to detail areas where the government has credible plans to make progress (electricity supply, transport), and others where we are woefully behind (low carbon heating, energy efficiency).
The Climate Change Committee tracks government progress on a monthly basis and currently states ‘only 39% of the required emissions savings are backed up by credible plans or policies’.
Confronted with 300 indicators for tracking progress in reducing emissions, I find myself pondering: when will we stop asking how to address the climate crisis and instead transition into real commitment and action?
Take the current energy crisis. Due in part to the war in Ukraine, we have all seen an immense jump in the cost of heating our homes and businesses. Rishi Sunak, as Chancellor, responded by lending households £400 to help with the cost of heating this winter, costing £60bn. This payment neither makes a significant difference to families who have seen their bills skyrocket, nor, importantly, does it address the fundamental issue of our cold, energy inefficient homes.
A national programme of home insulation, higher energy standards for new builds, and a rapid acceleration in heat pump installation would help to address the net-zero target while at the same time making it cheaper to keep our homes warm. It would also reduce the UK’s exposure to tyrants like Putin.
Another example is car dependency. We know this is a key way to address the climate crisis and improve air quality in Salisbury. Yet, according to the Climate Change Committee, ‘Public transport costs have risen faster than car travel, and there are no clear plans to address this’.
The expertise is out there in organisations such as Sustrans and best practice models exist. Investment in more reliable public transport and measures to make walking and cycling safer have the dual benefit of reducing carbon and making our communities healthier and more pleasant places to live and work.
It is time to stop searching for solutions and to start implementing the ones we know work. It is time for real ambition from our government – a national programme to urgently address the climate crisis.
